AND WE'RE OFF! MILLIONS IN GREAT GETAWAY

Holiday-starved Britons rescue tourism industry

- Steph Spyro

HOLIDAY-starved Brits have hit the roads in a great escape worth £30bn to the tourism industry.

And airports are expected to record their busiest weekend of the year with 400,000 people going abroad.

Routes could grind to a halt today as the RAC predicted 11.5 million cars would take to the road by the end of Sunday.

In a bonanza for hard-hit holiday destinations across the nation, Covid-weary Britons headed for the coast and the countryside.

Data from the annual 2021 Staycation Index from Sykes Holiday Cottages showed the increased demand means Britain’s economy will reap a £30billion reward across the holiday sector this year.

Tourism chiefs at Visit Cornwall are bracing for 240,000 people to descend to the county this week, a rise of up to 15 per cent compared to pre-pandemic figures in 2019.

Cornwall Council has asked holidaymakers to take a Covid test before travelling and to continue to take tests while staying in the area.

Rachel Wigglesworth, director of public health for Cornwall, said: “We’re glad that so many people want to come and spend time in our beautiful county, but we ask that you are respectful and help us to keep the virus under control.

“Please enjoy your holiday and make wonderful memories here because it’s a special place. But remember that our local communities will have to live with the consequences if case numbers increase.”

Gill Haigh, managing director of Cumbria Tourism, also expects a “very busy” period for the Lake District.

She said accommodation providers have reported a high number of bookings as the uncertainty of international travel spurs people to explore local beauty spots.